Bauhaus and the 100-years Legacy

 

Last week's blog was about how Art Nouveau styling still shows up in this century. The same holds true to even a higher degree with the Bauhaus School of Design that began in Germany in 1919, but was closed by the Nazis in 1933. Although the school only existed for 14 years, the premise lives in our designs to this day.

 

Bauhaus represented an aesthetic sense that in architecture, furniture, appliances, posters, fine art, textiles and furnishings tended to an early "form follows function" premise. There were no elaborate decorations and a belief that furnishings should follow the design of the building. 

   

Rounded corners were often designed for walls, furniture, and even fonts. In many respects, Art Deco and Bauhaus ran parallels in geometric forms, time and theory; although the former was more likely to have decorative aspects.

 

 

 

There's still many examples of the Bauhaus belief in not only designing the architecture of the building, but also every single bit of lighting, art, furniture and furnishings that made for a complete experience. This theory of design can be seen in the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright and a local Oregon beauty - Timberline Lodge.     

The inspiration of Bauhaus can be noted when describing "mid-century" or "modern" or "contemporary." Nevertheless, the source is the 14 years that Bauhaus-inspired designers and artists - over 100 years later. 

Below are samplings of either Bauhaus designed or Bauhaus inspired. Care to try to guess which is which? 

 

Richard Avedon: Nureyev's Foot and the 20th Century

 

 

 

A few weeks ago, I was looking through a website when I came upon a truly amazing photograph. It was titled, "Nureyev's Foot." I was struck how beautifully it was lighted and cropped. That foot seemed to say everything about the control, power and strength required of such a famous ballet dancer as Rudolf Nureyev. I had to know who had taken the photo.

After some digging through the internet, I found the photographer. It turned out to be Richard Avedon and I thought, "but, of course."

 

Avedon (1923-2004) has been described as the premiere photographer of style and beauty for the second half of the 20th century. Yet, a career that started at age 12 using a Brownie Box camera and later by taking Merchant Marines' photographs for I.D. cards hardly seems like the basis for such an outstanding career. 

However, with his passion for photography, he evolved a style that immediately identified a picture as an "Avedon." While Avedon was known for his fashion magazine work, his real love was portraiture. 

He preferred not to use props or soft lights, but to capture the inner worlds of his subjects. He would ask probing questions and find the vulnerable and interior for his portraits.

Beyond the fashion and portraiture, Avedon spent his time taking photos that chronicle images of the times. He even created a book titled, "In the American West." It was full of the images of the everyday lives of people.

In 1974, Avedon, who was only 51, had to limit his activities due to heart inflammation. Yet, he would continue to work until age 81. It was while on assignment for The New Yorker, Avedon suffered a stroke and died. He left a legacy of the most iconic representations of famous figures of the 20th century - including Nureyev's foot. Do you recognize any of these photos?